1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to furnace operations and more particularly to an additive chute for introducing fluxing materials or the like into the furnace.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In furnace operations such as used in steelmaking, it has been common to fabricate additive flux chutes which include an internal additive tube surrounded by a larger tube including a water cooling chamber. Typically, the top and nose portions of the chute would include annular plates sealing the ends of concentric water inlet and outlet pipes welded within the arrangement such that cooling water could be moved through the chamber to cool the chute during furnace operations. However, it has been the applicant's experience that heat transfer to the cooling fluids within the chute constructions heretofore known must be very closely monitored and controlled; and further, because of the high temperatures to which the chute must necessarily be subjected, the rigid welded constructions of the prior art have developed leaks or fractures resulting from thermal and mechanical stresses in the welds due to thermal expansion of the various elements of the chute. The present arrangement overcomes these difficulties and, thus, substantially enhances the safe operation, maintainability and service life over the construction of the prior art.